Drake Tsui
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Drake reviewed...
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Judging from IM2, I was expecting another bigger, flashier, instalment… More
Judging from IM2, I was expecting another bigger, flashier, instalment in Downey's little escapades of gadgetry. Instead I was pleasantly surprised to find a smaller adventure housed within a complex, flawed lead character accompanied by a cast of rather entertaining individuals.
IM3 goes back to the roots of Tony Stark, a mechanic. Just a man full of ego but still inherently flawed. As a result the action is notably less excessive but the trade-off is worth it as it allows for more character development and relationships. However more than often it feels like comic relief undermines a lot of the drama that it's trying to hold up.
The pacing/plot gets a little clunky around the edges as the twists and turns are thrown in as well, but hey, at least there's suspense and we get to meet Trevor. :]
Finally, I think it was incredibly smart of whoever's in charge to make this movie all about Tony as a character. The plot, although dense is very clearly driven by it's protagonist (evidence in its first-person narration but also the themes of personal redemption and self-discovery). You can't really go wrong building an entire movie around Downey's Stark, he just OOOZES with style, wit and entertainment value.
So all in all, not the flashy-over-the-top craziness I expected but instead I feel like I was given a much healthier, more balanced dose of mystery, humor, character & action.
15 days ago via Rotten Tomatoes
Drake reviewed...
Oblivion (2013)
I think the biggest flaw with Oblivion started with the fact that it's… More
I think the biggest flaw with Oblivion started with the fact that it's suspense/mystery married to a painfully predictable plot. So for about 2/3 of the movie the audience is waiting for characters to move through all their motions of "development" while squirming in anxiety.
But frankly, I really enjoyed the last few closing acts before the film ended. There were a lot of key moments that really stood out, filling my love for Sci Fi themes. (Discovering he's a clone and dealing with it, Jack not telling the 2nd Victoria the truth, Jack bringing Malcom rather than Julia etc.)
A lot of critics argue a lack of emotion or that characters are forgotten as soon as the "action" rolls in but that may be because all the players seem like characters in a Victorian play and never really "alive" in the first place.
Finally, let's not forget the top notch visuals. The Scifi concept art team behind this movie did a really wonderful job with the overall designs and as an artist myself, I can't help but appreciate it all.
It's definitely no Minority Report and it's rare for a movie to start off horrible and then get better (as opposed to having a strong start and progressively get worse) but if you love Sci Fi I think it's a pretty enjoyable experience that uses it's tropes effectively more so than falling victim to them.
16 days ago via Rotten Tomatoes
